Baiame facts for kids
In Aboriginal Australian mythology, Baiame (also called Biame, Baayami, Baayama or Byamee) is a very important creator god and sky father. He is part of the Dreaming stories for several Aboriginal Australian groups in south-eastern Australia. These groups include the Wonnarua, Kamilaroi, Guringay, Eora, Darkinjung, and Wiradjuri peoples.
Contents
Who is Baiame?
The stories of Baiame tell us that he came down from the sky to Earth. He then created many important things like rivers, mountains, and forests. After shaping the land, he gave people their rules for life, their traditions, songs, and culture.
Baiame also created the first special place for initiation ceremonies. This place is called a bora. A bora is where young boys learn important lessons and become men in their community. Once Baiame had finished all his work, he went back up to the sky. People then called him the Sky Hero or All Father or Sky Father.
In some stories, Baiame has two wives, Ganhanbili and Birrangulu. Birrangulu is often seen as an emu. Baiame also has a son named Dharramalan. In other stories, Dharramalan is said to be Baiame's brother.
Traditionally, it was not allowed to say Baiame's name out loud in public. Also, women were not allowed to see drawings of Baiame or go to sites where Baiame was painted. These sites were often special places for men's initiation ceremonies.
How Baiame is Shown in Art
In ancient rock paintings, Baiame is often shown as a human figure. He usually has a large head-dress or a special hairstyle. You can often see lines of footsteps painted near him. Baiame is always painted facing forward, looking straight out. His son or brother, Dharramalan, is usually drawn from the side. Baiame's paintings often include special decorations on his body, like waistbands, vertical lines, bands, and dots.
Baiame and Christian Beliefs
A missionary named William Ridley used the name Baiame for the Christian God. He did this when he was translating the Bible into the Gamilaraay language. Some people thought that Baiame might have been an idea made up by early Christian missionaries. However, a researcher named K Langloh Parker found evidence that people believed in Baiame as early as 1830. This was before missionaries started working in that area.
Baiame in the Lake Macquarie Area
In the area around Awaba (Lake Macquarie) in New South Wales, Australia, people believed Baiame created everything. This includes all the mountains, lakes, rivers, and caves in that region. After he finished creating, the stories say he jumped back up to the spirit world from Mount Yengo. He flattened the top of Mount Yengo when he jumped, and you can still see its flat top today near Wollombi Valley.
There is a cave near Milbrodale that has many Wonnarua Aboriginal paintings. One large painting of a man in this cave is thought to be Baiame. This cave is commonly known as the Baiame Cave. It is part of a group of rock shelters in an area of 80 hectares (about 200 acres). This site is very important and is listed on the Register of the National Estate. It is considered a sacred site by Aboriginal people.
See also
